PRIVATE LESSONS

What are private lessons? Are they required? How often should a dancer take them? Do all dancers need them? 

Let’s talk about what they are, how they can be helpful, and why they are just one small piece of a dancer’s overall training.

The most important part of a dancer’s growth will always be their regular classes. Taking a variety of styles - ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, technique, conditioning, and more - is what builds a well-rounded dancer. These classes develop strength, musicality, versatility, and the ability to adapt to different choreography and teaching styles. Group classes also provide something that private lessons cannot: the experience of learning alongside others. When dancers work together in a room, they:

• Learn by watching their peers 
• Develop awareness of spacing, timing, and teamwork 
• Grow from being part of a shared learning environment 

 This type of collaborative learning is a huge part of dance training and something we never want dancers to miss out on.

Private lessons are simply one-on-one time with a teacher at the studio. During a private lesson, the focus is entirely on that dancer - their choreography, their technique, their performance quality, and their individual strengths and areas for growth. It allows for very specific feedback and individualized attention. You can think of it similarly to a tutor. It’s an opportunity for extra guidance and motivation, but it isn’t something every dancer needs.

When a dancer is learning a solo, duo, or trio, they will naturally need additional rehearsal time outside of their regular classes to work on that choreography. However, the amount and frequency of that rehearsal time looks different for every dancer. Some dancers are very independent with their practice. They may work on memory, performance, and details at home and simply use occasional studio time to run the dance full-out with a teacher’s eyes on them to refine and clarify. Other dancers benefit from more consistent check-ins with a teacher to stay focused, motivated, and progressing week by week. Both approaches are completely normal - and both can be successful.

Private lessons are not a one-size-fits-all situation. Some dancers love the one-on-one environment and find it incredibly encouraging and uplifting. Others may find that level of focus a little more intense and prefer learning primarily within their classes. That’s why the length and frequency of private lessons should always be based on the individual dancer’s needs, not on what others around them are doing.

At the end of the day, private lessons are simply a tool. They can be helpful for focusing on specific areas or refining choreography, but they are not the main driver of a dancer’s growth.The dancers who grow the most are the ones who:

• Take a variety of classes 
• Train consistently 
• Work alongside their teammates 
• Stay open to corrections 
• Continue developing strength in all styles 

Those experiences - learning in a room full of dancers, absorbing corrections, supporting each other, and building well-rounded training - are what truly shape strong dancers. Private lessons are just one optional piece of that journey.

Private lessons are scheduled directly with the instructor. This allows the instructor to find a convenient time for both themselves and the student, while ensuring their is studio space available. They will then input the private lesson into their class manager which is linked to our studio portal. All private lessons charged and payment to instructors is done strictly through the studio. 

All staff can be contacting by choosing in the drop down menu under the contact tab in the portal.